Editorials / Opinion

One point is often missing from arguments for fighting climate change: Reducing carbon emissions is one of the simplest ways that people in Seattle, and throughout the U.S., can help people living in poverty around the world [“Climate change: mitigation, adaptation,” Opinion, Feb. 13]. Greenhouse gases emitted here don’t stay here, they contribute to…

“Climate change is real,” Lance Dickie said in his excellent recent column [“Climate change: mitigation, adaptation,” Opinion, Feb. 13]. Dealing with climate change may keep regulators busy until we’re cooked. Instead of endlessly debating every coal train and oil pipeline and sustainable energy subsidy, let’s put a carbon tax on the table. A revenue-neutral…

As a young person deeply concerned about climate change, I am very proud of Gov. Jay Inslee and the Washington State Department of Ecology for taking a stand and requiring a broad environmental impact statement for the Longview coal export terminal proposal [“Proposed coal terminal near Longview faces broad review,” Local News, Feb….

Ann McFeatters incorrectly attributes blame for the real and devastating effects of climate change to “depleting the Earth’s delicate ozone layer,” a separate global crisis [“Listen up, America; climate change is real,” Opinion, Jan. 11]. Climate change is caused by the build-up of carbon pollution in our atmosphere from fossil fuels. The hole in…

Politicians, glaciers, and the tortoise and the hare

As The Times reminded us last week, the gradual disappearance of Arctic sea ice is being driven by anthropogenic climate change, which is also contributing to the increased likelihood of wildfires and a host of devastating effects linked to climate change [“Report links extreme weather, melting of Arctic sea,” News, Dec. 13].

Meanwhile, back home in Washington, it seems as if glaciers are moving faster than our politicians as our state’s climate panel led by Gov. Jay Inslee has been unable to progress on implementing climate policy. The process to develop legislation to deal with climate change, which began five years ago, has come to a deadlock as Republicans refuse to take on policy citing cilmate change’s potential impacts on the economy.

President Obama has initiated the push, now the Senate and House must come together

On Thursday, the president ordered the federal government to almost triple its use of renewable sources for electricity by 2020 [“Obama to feds: Boost renewable power 20 percent,” Online, Dec. 5].

This push by the executive toward a more eco-friendly federal government is one that should be commended and mirrored by Congress. It may seem far-fetched, but if the parties could come together in the U.S. Senate and House and resolve to make key decisions in the fight against global warming we might start to see some progress in Washington, D.C., again. It is the purpose of this article to pose the question: Why can’t an “eco-fed” be a bridge issue between not only the president and Congress but within Congress as well?

Future generations require our action now

Debris still litters the coastal township of Basey Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, nearly three weeks after Typhoon Haiyan lashed Eastern Samar province in central Philippines. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

The guest column by Gillen D’Arcy Wood should be a wake-up call for all [“Typhoon Haiyan recalls past global cataclysm,” Opinion, Dec. 1].

The impact of superstorms like Typhoon Haiyan, attributed to warming ocean waters, are a harbinger of the likely future impacts of climate change on a global scale. The frequency of storm-related disasters linked to a warming planet are now irrefutable and are becoming the new normal as a way of life. Echoing the column, “The Haiyan challenge is far greater: to make a stand for humanity’s future on a livable planet.”

West coast at the forefront of strategic alignment to combat climate change and promote clean energy Great move by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber, California Gov. Jerry Brown, and B.C. Premier Christy Clark in signing a joint climate change accord that will cover the length of the North American west coast. Let’s hope the…

We need to make climate change a priority I want to say, in the midst of the unnecessary and relatively absurd current hoopla in Washington, D.C., thanks for your story last week on the IPCC report. It’s another confirmation by the best international scientists of our moment of jeopardy and opportunity. Yes, the situation is dire. If…

Coal terminals will counteract environmental progress On behalf of FRIENDS of the San Juans, I would like to thank Gov. Jay Inslee and Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber for urging a thorough examination of the greenhouse-gas emissions and other air-quality effects of coal leasing and export in their March 25 letter to the White House’s Council on…